Bruised Egos & Broken Bones

Our church softball team began league play this past friday night with a respectable 1-1 record.  We lost the first game of our double-header but rallied to win the second.  While I still enjoyed playing the field, (I didn’t make any errors, with a few quick stops at third base), but batting was a different story alltogether.  I just don’t have the “pop” I used to have.  I know it’s the combination of age and extra weight that are slowing me down…but I still don’t like it!  Grounding out to short is not nearly as ego inflating as putting one over the center fielders head, oh well.  To make matters worse, I broke my big toe running to first, (ok, maybe it was more like jogging), so that’s been a royal pain.  But you know what?  I’ll still be out there this weekend.  Not because I’m a good ballplayer or even because I’m needed.  I just have this child like fascination with playing ball with a bunch of other guys who never got the competition bug out of their system.  We may never make an ESPN highlight reel, but man will we have fun.

These are a few of my least favorite things…

I hate MOVING!!!!!!!!!

ok, now that I have that out of my system, I can explain.  I love the excitement and expectation of a new challenge ahead.  I love being able to form new relationships.  I love knowing that we are in the center of God’s will for our lives.

 But I hate putting all the trappings of my life into little carboard containers, stacking them like legos and staring at blank walls all around me.  I hate the pain of setting up new utilities and cell phone numbers.  But most of all I hate the stress that accompanies all of it.  I know that most of the stress is self-inflicted, but it’s stress nontheless. 

So here’s my prayer for you (and for me)

Lord, allow me to always be in the center of Your will, and may that will include never packing another box the rest of my days! Amen.

Goodbye’s

I HATE saying Goodbye.  I would rather undergo a full round of rabies injections than to have to tell people that I love goodbye.  I know, I know, it’s not really goodbye, it’s see ya later.  But we all know that things are never the same.  Circumstances change, relationships develop, life gets hectic, etc…   Rachel and I just sang our last special together at Anna First.  It was a song we had sung countless times here before called “Fairest Lord Medley”.  It’s a medley of Fairest Lord Jesus, Tis so Sweet to trust in Jesus, and It Is Well.  While singing it, I had a very real sense of peace that we were doing the right thing, but the right thing is not always easy, especially when you look into the faces of those that you love.  Pastor Tony was very kind to me at the end of the service and said that during my time here we had transitioned from singing songs about God to singing TO God.  If that is true, I am very blessed that God chose to use a broken vessel like me.

what’s happenin?

Some of you are kind enough to frequently check in on this little online journal of mine.  What’s new in your life?  Anything exciting?  Anything God’s doing in your life lately?  I’d love to hear from you!

God is SOOOOOOOO Good!

We are in the process of packing all of our things so that we can move 200 miles away to a new ministry field.  Only one problem, we had no idea where we were going to live!  But God has been so Good!  I got a call this morning finalizing our rental of a home that was exactly what we wanted.  God is so gracious that He not only gave us our needs, but He provided for us in an astounding way.   I can never even begin to deserve all the great things that He has done in my life, but it never fails to amaze me that He is so extravagant in His love!

Exit Stage Left

It’s a simple stage direction that means to exit off the stage to a particular side.  The last time I was in a musical, it was my final move.  I simply walked off the stage and never returned.  Tonight I read my letter of resignation to my church family here in Anna.  It was difficult, emotional, and heart-breaking.  I am as sure of my calling to a new place of ministry this moment as I have ever been, but stepping away from people whom I have woven my life together with for the last four years is going to be far more difficult than I was willing to admit to myself.  I have heard it said that a Pastor makes everyone in his church happy…some when he comes…some while he’s there…and some when he leaves.  While that may be true, it’s also true that a Pastor often experiences every emotion with the church he serves.  We go through times of excitement and enthusiasm, pain and loss, perseverance and victory, hurt and disappointment.  It is my prayer that the church I will be leaving will be better off for my having been a part of it for these past four years, I know I am better off because they were a part of me.  I may be exiting  stage left, but I know the play will continue for years to come.